Monday, February 28, 2011

A tyrannical Mongol leader demands tribute from all the residents of an Anatolian village, but one poor family fears their only possible offering, the family donkey, may inspire insult. Indeed, the despot flies off the handle with the first hee-haw, but is placated by the village wise man, Nasreddin Hoca, who insists that the donkey's "intelligent eyes" indicate that he can be taught to read. By feeding the donkey barley between the pages of the book, he manages a most clever trick that hopefully will save the hides of the unfortunate clan. This is a must-have for anyone who enjoys a good trickster tale, or as a stand-out to add to the increasingly expanding children's bookshelf on the theme of reading (recently: DOG LOVES BOOKS by Louise Yates, THE WONDERFUL BOOK by Leonid Gore, READ TO TIGER by S.J. Fore, and the deservedly popular HOW ROCKET LEARNED TO READ by Tad Hills). Thickly painted illustrations have heft and are extremely expressive, and add a lighthearted dimension to a suspenseful folktale. Smart, funny, provocative and inimitably surprising, this legend of Nasreddin Hoca has survived over seven hundred years, and with good reason; it is as much of a pleasure to share today as it must have been centuries ago. (5 and up)

Also of interest:

Just getting to know Nasreddin, the Aesop of Turkey? Try this one, too:

THE HUNGRY COAT by Demi (McElderberry) Nasrettin (spelling variation) is invited to dinner, but is rudely shunned by guests and host alike. Could it be his shabby attire? He slips away, returning in magnificent garb, and is welcomed warmly. When served his dinner, though, he proceeds to feed his coat! There is a lesson about appearances hidden in the lining of Nasrettin's strange behavior, one that readers will not likely soon forget. The great Islamic folk hero and champion of common sense gets his due in Demi's signature style: small, jeweled figures surrounded by swirling borders and motifs and touched with gold. This serious topic is told with good humor and cleverness, making this a sensational read-aloud that every child (and grown-up) will benefit from hearing, and one that will whet readers' appetites for even more of Nasrettin's timeless fables. (6 and up)

This book focuses realistically (as you can be with amphibians wearing hair bows) and hilariously on a little alligator girl's quest to discover what she might possibly be that could shine alongside the many talents and feats of her companion, feeling rather inadequate all the while. Luckily, the narrator is something Evelyn can't be: a true blue friend for Evelyn, and the last pages sing: "I am! I am! I am!" At first, I was a little lukewarm about the wan, poop-colored cover, but once a few pages were turned, it only added to the humor; stylistically, somebody read a lot of James Marshall. A natural part of child development is discovering what you're good at (or not), and many children going through that self-deprecating stage, or prone to unnecessary comparisons with peers, will discover some very heartening perspective within these pages. Stop laughing? I'm not. (5 and up)

Also of interest:

The other side of the coin? Well-meaning but only partial redemption of a picture book narcissist may be found in Lucy Cousin's I'M THE BEST, in which a doggy has to find a balance between his own self-esteem and a recognition of what's best about his buddies, a bit of a throwback to Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Kay Chorao's 1970's gold star picture book, I'M TERRIFIC, in which a little bear rewards himself prolifically for his greatness, while his friends struggle to get him in check.

Speaking of terrific, and if you like these kind of themes, are you familiar with one of my new favorite blogs, BOOKS THAT HEAL KIDS? I am not a fan of bibliotherapy per se, as I consider all well-written children's books to be character-building, and I am fearful about navigating through shelves of books written with issues in mind instead of children. But to my hesitation, this site says too-shay! I can't resist these thoughtful and sensitive selections, so brilliantly reviewed. Check it out!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Her mother reminded her that there were more important things than fame..."You must always be kind."

Talk about a duckling growing into a swan! From Audrey Hepburn's childhood beginnings as a gawky girl in ballet class, hiding with family during WWII, to her adventures in acting (meeting the author Colette and cast as Gigi, and landing a role in Roman Holiday), to her other roles in life as a mother and as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, the life of a woman who knew how to be her own unique brave and endearing self is laid out to inspire a whole new generation. I am simply beside myself over the illustrations as lovely as a 1950's back-issue of Vogue; the double-page spread of Audreys all bedeckled in beautiful vintage Hollywood fashion from Funny Face to Breakfast at Tiffany's to My Fair Lady is sure to elicit groans of admiration, and the high-spirited smile Audrey wears as she dons one scarf four different ways is utterly contagious. The illustrator's style is spry, carrying us easily across the whirlwind timeline and aging our pixie queen most gracefully. While the fashionista that is Audrey is undeniable in these pages, the biography is not shallow, sharing insights and highlights of a real life and bringing it around nicely at the end, with a collection of sweet modern-day girls emulating her style. All I can say is: more! More! More! Gene Kelly biography next, please...and thank you. (6 and up)

Also of interest:

In Audrey Hepburn's honor, a clip from Funny Face, accompanied by Kay Thompson (who is also the author of Eloise):

Sunday, February 06, 2011

On Monday my fortune said: Money is like the wind.
And guess what?
I found a dollar under my pillow!
On Tuesday my fortune said: Try to find the good with the bad.
And guess what?
I lost my kite, but...I found a cat.

A week's worth of fortune cookies tell a homey story with a happily every after and a twist at the end. Pull tabs add interest to the concept, allowing each fortune to be tugged from it's fold, and the Caldecott-winning illustrator is in top form, with tight, boxy packaging nicely framing Raschka's wide-brush flourishes. Children's lit enthusiasts may recognize the name Al Bitterman as the author of the snarky and insightful reviews coming out of Reading Reptile, pretty much the greatest children's bookstore in the country. Bitterman is the pseudonym of the mighty Pete Cowdin, one of the store's owners, a guy who really knows what children like to read. He proved it by his inventory, and now, he proves it in his own book. Of course, there are tons of teacher-ly extensions: Chinese New Year, DIY fortune cookies where children write their own forecasts (haiku fortune cookies work nicely for National Poetry Month), or just a fun storytime with a treat at the end. Not since a cootie-catcher has telling the future been so much fun. Your fortune: Good books lead to good readers. You take it from there. (4 and up)

Also of interest:

I see a storytime in your future.

FORTUNE COOKIE FORTUNES by Grace Lin (Knopf) Isn't it funny how fortunes always seem to come true? After dinner at a Chinese restaurant, an observant little girl notices how the slip in each relative's cookie matches their circumstance. Lest we forget that this award-winning author (WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON, THE YEAR OF THE DOG, LING AND TING, NOT EXACTLY THE SAME!) is also a proficient illustrator, the pictures are particularly eye-catching, brilliant in color and featuring double-paged spreads with fetching patterned backgrounds. The story ends with some real history of the fortune cookie with its Asian inspiration and American birth, and an illustration of one split apart in the reader's honor: "you have just read a good book." Yummy! (5 and up)

About Me

Welcome to the Wonderful World of PlanetEsme! I'm a professional readiologist™ who thinks children's trade literature and read-aloud is our best hope for equalizing education in America. I hope this book-a-day plan will be a boon to anyone who would like to play a supporting character in a child's reading life story. This blog is a supporting page to sister site PlanetEsme.com, where you will find a silly amount of additional reviews, thematic lists, links, and much more...everything you need to become an expert in children's literature.

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